1. Field
The present disclosure generally provides optoelectronic devices incorporating layered structured materials and semiconductor thin films, and more particularly to control of the optical properties of such materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reducing energy consumption has become one of the primary goals for the world due to the onset of global warming and the potential for reducing costs for device operation. It is therefore favorable to find low power device alternatives to current technology, or devices that can indirectly reduce power consumption. This is especially true in many optical applications that require electrical control of optical properties. Altering the transmission of materials in the visible spectrum remains a formidable challenge, due to the difficulties of tuning the Fermi Level and charge-carrier density over a wide range.
Smart windows are a particular example of this kind of optical application. For example, buildings can account for up to 40% of a developed country's total energy usage. This is primarily caused by high heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) costs. One of the most promising ways of reducing these costs is by reducing the amount of energy lost due to windows, mostly through inefficient insulation. Smart windows, windows that change their opacity under certain conditions, are a common solution to this problem. The most popular smart windows are electrically controlled, which allows them to be automated or controlled manually. This makes it very easy to change the windows properties to be the most efficient at any particular time of the day. However, it is difficult to create durable, low power windows that can induce large, reversible changes using an applied voltage. The best performing windows are also quite costly.